@KpatilMMSC wrote:
Hello All,
I am fairly new to the 3d forums, and the company I work for has recently decided to invest in a 3D printer. Our first step into the 3d printing world has begun with Formlabs, and I am here to share our results with the community! Below are pictures of our 3d Print room and the the UV cure-box that has been built.
3D Print Lab:
The room has been fitted with:
- two wall cabinets that have an open-bottom section that serves as a display for the prints.
- a high work table that holds the finishing kit and a Dremel workstation
- a metal peg board for easy access to tools.The Form 2 Printer sits on a rolling cabinet. This is ideal when any maintenance needs to be performed however the drawback (pausing the print before opening a drawer) can get annoying, but it is a small price to pay. The room serves dual functionalities of not only being the 3d print-lab for the company, but also a showcase room for new technologies for visitors in the building. Additional items still needed to complete the room are a dedicated computer and a large monitor screen.
UV Cure-box:
Since the company dedicated an entire room for this equipment, I built a professional-looking UV cure-box while not spending absurd amounts of money.
Equipment needed:
- Soldering iron w/ solder
- Wire shrink tubes
- 405 nm led strip (non-waterproof)
- AC power supply that will work with the LED strip (12V, 5A max, 60Watt max is the one i used)
- Wire w/ wire strippers
- Wire to power supply connector (green/black in the pictures)
- LED controller with remote (optional)
- Aluminum foil lining (Al sheet-metal typically used for building was used in the box, but store bought Al foil will work just fine) [may need to use 2 or 3 layers if the foil is thin]
- 3m double sided tape
- threaded rods
- clear glass or clear plastic sheet
- Plastic-Storage container
- Drill machine
Step 1: Measuring/ Figuring-It-Out
find:
- location of threaded rod holes
- how you will route your LED strips and wires
- location of holes for wire routing
Your LED strips will need to be attached in a SERIES connection. I have mine starting at the bottom of the container and ending at the top [power supply at the top].Step 2: Base Layer
- Drill holes for threaded rods (make sure threaded rods will be evenly horizontal)
- Drill holes for any wire routing
- Attach double sided tape to the side walls, bottom, and underside of the lid (leave the outward facing protection strip of the tape on)Step 3: Aluminum Foil
- Attach Al Foil --> Do the sides first, then the bottom, then the underside of the lid. Make sure to leave enough room on the underside of the lid so it can shut properly. When doing this step its best to remove the the protective film on the tape as-you-go instead of removing it all at once.
- re-drill holes if the AL foil is covering any holes
Step 4: LEDs
- You should have a basic idea of how you will position your LEDs at the point.
- [Go section by section for this step. Start at the bottom, then sides, then underside of the lid]
- WIRING should be done in SERIES
- Cut LEDs to appropriate length.
- Attach wires with wire shrinks (precautionary measure so it does not short-circuit) to the LED strip contact points.
- Attach double sided tape to underside of the the led strip and attach LED to the foil.
- Use double sided tape to hold down any dangling wires firmly against the walls
Step 5: Check and Final Check
- Hook the "wire to power supply" connector to the wires first then the power supply and check all LEDs are working.
- Attach threaded rods
- Attach the nuts to the ends of the rods and lay the clear plastic sheet on top of the rods
- Do a final check, and if everything works you are done!
notes:
- The box does take some time to heat up, so a solution is to turn it on in the morning and let it heat up a little bit before using. To speed this up use a hair dryer on low setting and gently heat up the interior of the cure box.- Use EXTRA long wire for the LED connection between the lid and the main container. This way you can take the lid fully off and let it sit somewhere without having to worry about ripping apart your LED-to-LED connection
If you have any comments or suggestions please post below.
Thanks!
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